What is a CUR file
CUR files are binary system files that can be found on Microsoft Windows computers. They are images or animations that can be used as a representation of the mouse pointers on Windows operating systems. Different cursor icons can show the user different actions they can take (e.g. the hourglass or spinning circle for waiting time). Custom and user generated desktop themes allow the user to change the look of the cursor icons used on Windows by replacing the according CUR file.
CUR files do not differ much from the ICO file format except for the extension; they both consist of a small still image. Also, the definition of a hotspot in the header of the CUR file distinguishes it from an ICO file. This hotspot defines the pixel offset from where you are pointing the mouse, calculated from the top-left corner. CUR files are still used in Windows nowadays, but animated cursors now usually have the file extension ANI instead of CUR.
Here's a small, but not exhaustive list of programs that can open CUR documents:
- ACD Systems SCDSee 18 (Windows)
- Axialis CursorWorkshop (Windows)
- Corel PaintShop Pro X8 (Windows)
- Greenfish Icon Editor Pro (Windows)
- Inkscape (Windows, Mac, Linux)
- Microsoft Windows
- Snap Converter (Mac)
